The Guardian Games
by A Game of Night
Summary: New Tokyo rose from the ashes of Japan. Years after, a rise in hearts eggs caused chaos among children and their families which caused an uprising against the governing system of New Tokyo. This resulted in the creation The Guardian Games. In these games 33, 12 to 18 year old will fight for their lives. Are you and your "would be selves" prepared to play a game of death?
1. Chapter 1

"Amu, wake up. It's recruiting day."

My eyes opened slightly to see my mother hovering over my bed. She wore a familiar worried look, as if the world would end at any minute. It was Recruiting day, for thirty-three twelve to eighteen year olds the world was going to come to and end.

I lived in the country of New Tokyo. You'll probably tell me that Tokyo is a city, not a country. And you would've been right, if you had said it a hundred years prior. But that was before the rebellion, before Japan burned and from it's ashes gave birth to New Tokyo, before the entire country found out about guardian characters, before the games, before everything.

It was the day everyone, except those who live in the capitol, dread, but are forced to treat like a holiday. Today was the day the capitol chose who'd participate in the battle to the death known as The Guardian Games. It all started the day the hearts egg outbreak began. Even though I wasn't even born yet, I felt like I could remember it like it was yesterday. We were taught about it enough.

Nobody knew how or why it happened, but hundreds of adolescents, twelve to eighteen year olds were realizing their dreams, realizing who they wanted to be, thus laying guardian eggs. While they were finding themselves, the adults were realizing that the capitol had too much power. The people of the fourteen districts were so outraged, they went against the capitol. They pushed their children, made them believe in who they wanted to be so they could use their character transformations to fight a war they had no clue was even happening. Thirteen of the districts were defeated and the fourteenth...never existed if you ask the capitol. In result of the war, The Guardian Games were born.

The capitol blamed the rebellion on the hearts egg outbreak. They said it gave the people of the districts mass weapons and if they were willing to sacrifice their children before, they wouldn't have a problem doing it again. That's why the Guardian games were for twelve to eighteen year olds who bear guardian characters. Each year on a day known as Recruiting Day ,the whole population of New Tokyo witnesses thirty-three innocent twelve to eighteen year old guardian bearers be chosen to participate in a fight for their lives.

I've realized that all the capitol is saying is, "We have so much power, that we can make your children kill each other and their dreams again and again and again. And we're gonna make you think you caused it."

I trudged to my closet and grabbed my old school uniform. I slipped on my uniform and my guardian cape. All character bearers had to wear capes to identify themselves on Recruiting Day, girl character bearers wore red capes and boy character bearers wore blue ones, but there are very few who wore purple or black capes. Girls who's Guardian characters had been marked with an 'X', but could still be used to character transform had purple capes and boys in the same situation wore a black cape. As I walked to my dresser, my guardian characters floated over to me.

"Amu-Chan, there is no need to worry. There are thousands of other names," Ran said

"Yes, I know. But I'm seventeen now, that means my name should only be in the bowl five times, but times five by four and add the amount of times my name has been added for supplies kits"

How many times your name was entered in the bowl was based on age, amount of guardian characters, and supply kits.

Supply kits are needed for the poorest districts. I lived in district Seiyo, which was once a town called Seiyo. What was once a beautiful town became a poor house. Because of this we needed supplies like medicine, food, clothes .One supply kits supplied one person with basic necessities, like food, clothes, etcetera. The only way the capitol would give us these necessities was for those of eligible to be in the games to put our name in the bowl four more times in exchange for one supply kit. I entered for four supply kits, one for each of the members in my family, resulting in my name going in the bowl sixteen more times.

By the age of seventeen your name was entered five times. Before I even entered for supply kits my name was in the bowl twenty times. My name was in the bowl thirty-six times this year.

"Amu- chan it'll be okay. Rumor is there's a girl who's registration claims she has five guardian characters," Dia attempted to calm me down.

"Yeah, and if that's true I'm sure there's other kids like her, but look at age and if they need supply kits.

"Breakfast," my mother calls.

I walked into the kitchen and sat at the wobbly table, eating breakfast in silence.

"Amu, it's eight, o, clock. We have to head to the square."

My guardian characters, Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia sat in their eggs. I placed the eggs in my bag and headed to the front door. I waited at the door as my mother dressed my little sister, Ami. My dad was running around the house taking pictures of everything I owned.

"Dad, what are you doing?" I asked

"Taking pictures of all your memories for you to take with you to the Capital."

" We don't even know if I'm going to be in the games and if I am I can't bring a pound of pictures with me," I complained.

"The risk is too high, I want you to have these memories."

My mom came into the room with Ami and we headed out.

As we walked to the square I took in my surroundings. Everywhere we turned there were people crying. Recruiting day hadn't even officially started and there was so much crying. I suddenly felt bad for the families of the thirty-three kids that were about to be chosen. At the start of the games they had to worry and wonder if their kid will survive. But at the end thirty-two families would be grieving over the loss of their child.

When we arrived at the square, I stared at the kids lining up in five neat lines. Which line is based on how many guardian characters you have. I walked over to the four guardian character line and waited for the lines to fill in. After everyone filed into their lines, Recruiting day began.


	2. Chapter 2

Kukai pov

I sat at the table staring at my breakfast as the front door swung open and in walked my older brother, Kikai. Right behind him was his best friend, who he insisted to me and my parents was only a friend, Ryoko. "Morning," Kikai said stealing my toast.

"Hey!" I shouted.

"You weren't eating it."

"Oh, go make out with your girlfriend," I teased.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

I rolled my eyes and continued to stare at the plate. "Eat or I will," my guardian character, Daichi threatened.

"Fine, you can have it. I can't eat anything," I admitted as I stood up and walked to my room.

"Dude, calm down. You're seventeen and you only have me. Your name is in there less than anyone else your age in this town," Daichi attempted to cheer me up.

"Yeah, but the only reason that is, is because Ryoko entered her name in the drawing extra times so we all have supply kits. She doesn't even live here. "

"And you know the only reason she does that is because of Kikai. They're the reason there's food on the table… " Daichi explained.

" I know that, I would hunt too. But they refuse to let me," I said.

"They do that because they know and you know that they shouldn't be beyond the fence. But they somehow get over it and back without getting caught. If they are caught they'll be ...you know."

They'd be killed. I knew that for a fact, but that's why I wanted to go hunting with them. If something were to happen to either one of them, the other would probably crawl under a rock for all eternity. Then what? My family would probably be living off supply kits for the rest of our lives.

"Kikai, lets go. We can't be late," Ryoko insisted, slipping on her cape.

"You guys are actually going this year? Why?" I questioned them.

Kikai answered immediately, "Ryoko's name is in the bowl too many times this year. If she gets picked and she's not there, we're all dead."

We walked the streets in silence and before we knew it we had arrived at the square, just in time for recruiting to start.

The ceremony started exactly the same as always, they say some crap about how it all began and then _she_ walked on stage…

The long blond pigtails and familiar purple eyes, it was none other than everyone's favorite capitol girl, Utau Hoshina. She was the only person who could've had a hundred guardian characters and never be picked to compete because her name wasn't in the bowl and it never would be.

"Good morning, everybody!" She announced into the microphone.

Several of the people around me simultaneously sighed, "Good Morning Utau."

I rolled my eyes. Utau was New Tokyo's sweetheart and it felt like everyone just adored her. There wasn't anything particularly interesting about her, her presence just made everyone worship her. Everyone but my family and I had decided Utau was the best thing to happen since Japan was destroyed. My family and I just didn't understand why everyone was so excited and willing to celebrate the face of someone who stood in front of a bowl and pulled out the names of children who would die

"Anyway, let's get this Recruiting Day on the road!" Utau seemed to float towards the bowl of girl's names and stuck her hand inside, she pulled out the name and read it aloud, "Yaya Yuiki, age fifteen, one guardian character."

A short girl with brownish-orange hair pushed her way through the line, glancing at me as she passed by and stepped onto the stage.

"Now, before I choose the next recruit I'd like to say that this year, the president says there will be a big twist! So big that not even the mayors know about it!"

Every year they said there would be a 'big twist' and year after year the twists were pretty small. There was never anything that really changed the fabric of the games.

Utau practically skipped over to the bowl of boy's names, pushing her hand in and pulling out the name,

"Takuya Nakagura, age twelve, one guardian character"

Kikai's eyes faltered, "I know that kid," I looked him strangely, "They used to bring the younger kids to show us things when they were younger. He was always the first one to go. He wanted to be a magician..." The way Kikai spoke about him made me feel nauseous. The way everyone talked about those going into the games made me feel that way. Talking about them as if they were already dead even if the games hadn't even started yet.

We turned back at the stage just in time for Utau to call the next name and when she did, it was almost like I could feel Kikai's heart stop.

" Ryoko Takahashi, age 17, five guardian characters. Purple cape!" Utau called out.

I whipped around to look at Kikai. He seemed to be standing completely unmoving as he tried to watch Ryoko shuffle her way through her line and up towards the stage. He didn't blink and never broke his gaze on her, I'm not even sure if he was breathing or not.

I called out to him, trying to snap him out of his blank state, "Kikai! Kikai! She's gonna win, she has to." He continued to stare unphased. I placed my hands on his shoulders and shook him, which seemed to get through to him.

"I- I can't lose her, Kukai," He stuttered out to me quietly. I could hear another name being called out.

I nodded, pulling my brother in for a hug, "She's gonna be okay, she's gonna win and she'll be home before you know it."


End file.
